Advice for the Stupid: Be Careful Shopping Online

We're seeing the usual litany of Black Friday stories today, most of them of the gloom and doom variety, but this helpful bit of advice caught our eye. In case anyone out there was dumb enough to fall prey to some online scams, the Associate Press is here to save you.

The New York state Consumer Protection Board warns consumers to be wary about providing personal information when shopping online this holiday season.

Nielson Online, a consumer research company, says online holiday shopping will spike this year because it allows consumers to comparison shop and save money on gas.

Is there a stature of limitations on these stories about gas prices? You would think a news organizations, above all, would happen to notice gas prices are now at their lowest in three years. Heck, I was over in New York Thursday and even there prices are approaching two bucks a gallon.

Judging by the relentlessly negative stories on the economy, you would think people are sitting home shivering while they burn their furniture to stay warm. It appears may are ignoring the dire warnings. In fact, they're coming out in waves earlier than ever.